Category: English

Omniglot News (17/09/23)

By Simon

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Here’s the latest news from the world of Omniglot.

There are new language pages about:

  • Tonkawa (Tickanwa•tic), a language isolate that was spoken in western Oklahoma, southern Texas and New Mexico in the USA, and that is being revived.
  • Vamale, a New Caledonian language spoken in the north of Grande Terre Island in New Caledonia.
  • Nisu, a Loloish language spoken in the south of Yunnan Province in southern China.
  • Sani (Nip-dop), a Southeastern Loloish language spoken in central Yunnan Province in southern China.

New numbers pages:

  • Tonkawa (Tickanwa•tic), a language isolate that was spoken in western Oklahoma, southern Texas and New Mexico in the USA, and that is being revived.
  • Ditidaht (Diitiidʔaatx̣), a southern Wakashan language spoken in southern Vancouver Island in British Columbia in Canada.
  • Shoshone (Sosoni’ da̱i̱gwape), an Uto-Aztecan language spoken in Nevada, Utah, Idaho and Wyoming in the USA.
  • Comanche (nʉmʉ tekwapʉ̱), an Uto-Aztecan language spoken in parts of Oklahoma in the USA.

New weather words page: Finnish (suomi).

On the Omniglot blog we find out if the words Tent and Tenant are related, and there’s the usual Language Quiz. See if you can guess what language this is:

Here’s a clue: this language is spoken in British Columbia in Canada.

The mystery language in last week’s language quiz was Tsat, a Northern Chamic language spoken near Sanya in the south of Hainan Province in southern China.

There’s a new Celtiadur post about words for Down Under and related things in Celtic languages, and I made improvements to the posts about words for Trees, Wood(s) & Forests and Low.

In this week’s Celtic Pathways podcast, entitled Sacred Trees, we explore the roots of some Celtic words for trees and related things.

For more Omniglot News see:
https://www.omniglot.com/news/
https://twitter.com/Omniglossia
https://www.facebook.com/groups/omniglot/
https://www.facebook.com/Omniglot-100430558332117

You can also listen to this podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Stitcher, TuneIn, Podchaser, PlayerFM or podtail.

If you would like to support this podcast, you can make a donation via PayPal or Patreon, or contribute to Omniglot in other ways.

Radio Omniglot podcasts are brought to you in association with Blubrry Podcast Hosting, a great place to host your podcasts. Get your first month free with the promo code omniglot.

The Fastest Way to Learn Korean with KoreanClass101

Celtic Pathways – Sacred Trees

By Simon

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

In this episode we’re exploring the roots of Celtic words for tree and related things.

Llyn Padarn

One Proto-Celtic word for tree is *belyom, which comes from Proto-Indo-European *bʰolh₃yo- (leaf), from *bʰleh₃- (blossom, flower) [source].

Descendents in the modern Celtic languages include:

  • bile [ˈbʲɪlʲə] = (large, sacred) tree, a scion or a distinguished person in Irish.
  • bile [bilə] = mast, plough, a cluster of trees, or a sacred tree or grove in Scottish Gaelic
  • billey = tree or big bush in Manx
  • pill [pɪɬ] = (tree) trunk, stock, log, branch, pole, stake, post, fortress or stronghold in Welsh.
  • bill = trunk in Breton

In Manx billey is the usual word for tree, however words for tree have other roots in the other Celtic languages: crann (Irish), craobh (Scottish Gaelic), coeden (Welsh), gwedhen (Cornish) and gwezenn (Breton). Only the Cornish and Breton words are cognate (related).

The Proto-Celtic word *belyom became *bilia [ˈbi.liaː] (tall tree) in Gaulish, which became bille (tree trunk, railway sleeper, rolling pin) and billon (a ridge in a ploughed field) in French, and possibly billa (spigot, tap, stick) in Galician [source].

Words from the same PIE roots include folio and phyllo / fil(l)o (pastry), phyllomancy (diviniation by leaves) in English, feuille (leaf, sheet) in French, and hoja (leaf, petal, blade) in Spanish [source].

You can find more details of words for trees, wood(s) and forests and related things on the Celtiadur blog. I also write about words, etymology and other language-related topics on the Omniglot Blog.

Radio Omniglot podcasts are brought to you in association with Blubrry Podcast Hosting, a great place to host your podcasts. Get your first month free with the promo code omniglot.

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Omniglot News (10/09/23)

By Simon

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Here’s the latest news from the world of Omniglot.

There are new language pages about:

  • Tumulung Sisaala (Sisaaliŋ Tumuluŋ), a Gur language spoken in the Upper West Region of northern Ghana.
  • Paasaal (Pasaale Sisaala), a Gur language spoken in the Upper West Region of northern Ghana
  • Sisaali, a Gur language spoken in the provinces of Sissili and Ioba in southern Burkina Faso.

New numbers pages:

  • Tumulung Sisaala (Sisaaliŋ Tumuluŋ), a Gur language spoken in the Upper West Region in northern Ghana.
  • Sisaali, a Gur language spoken in Sissili and Ioba in southern Burkina Faso.
  • Aari (አፋን፡ኣሪ፡ / Áfan ārí), a South Omotic language spoken in the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples’ region of southern Ethiopia.

On the Omniglot blog we look into the origins of the words Pen and Pencil, which are not related, and there’s the usual Language Quiz. See if you can guess what language this is:

Here’s a clue: this language is spoken in southern China, but isn’t related to Chinese.

The mystery language in last week’s language quiz was Erzya (эрзянь кель), a Mordvinic language spoken in the Republic of Mordovia in the west of the Russian Federation.

There’s a new Celtiadur post called Take Note! about words meaning note and related things in Celtic languages,.

In this week’s Adventure in Etymology we’re going down the rabbit hole and unearthing the origins of the word down and related things.

I also made improvements to pages about Japanese Kanji and the Bench language.

For more Omniglot News see:
https://www.omniglot.com/news/
https://twitter.com/Omniglossia
https://www.facebook.com/groups/omniglot/
https://www.facebook.com/Omniglot-100430558332117

You can also listen to this podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Stitcher, TuneIn, Podchaser, PlayerFM or podtail.

If you would like to support this podcast, you can make a donation via PayPal or Patreon, or contribute to Omniglot in other ways.

Radio Omniglot podcasts are brought to you in association with Blubrry Podcast Hosting, a great place to host your podcasts. Get your first month free with the promo code omniglot.

The Fastest Way to Learn Korean with KoreanClass101

Adventures in Etymology – Down

By Simon

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In this adventure we’re going down the rabbit hole and unearthing the origins of the word down.

Thistle Down

Down has various meanings, each of which has different roots. First let’s look at down that means ‘from a higher position to a lower one; facing downwards, to knock down; a negative aspect’, and various other things.

This comes from Middle English doun [duːn] (down), from Old English dūne (down), a form of adūne (down, downward), from ofdūne [ovˈduː.ne] (down – “of the hill”), from Proto-Germanic *dūnǭ (sand dune, hill), possibly from *dūnaz (pile, heap), from PIE *dʰewh₂- (smoke, mist, haze) [source].

Another meaning of down (especially in southern England) is a (chalk) hill, rolling grassland, a field, especially one used for horse racing, or a piece of poor, sandy hilly land near the sea covered with fine turf used mainly for grazing sheep.

This comes from Middle English doun(e) [duːn] (hill, grass-grown upland, open country), from Old English dūn (mountain, hill), from Proto-Germanic *dūnǭ (sand dune, hill), probably from Proto-Celtic *dūnom (stronghold, rampart), from PIE *duh₂-nós (lasting, durable), or from *dʰewh₂- (smoke, mist, haze) [source].

Words from the same roots include dùn (heap, fort, town) in Scottish Gaelic, dinas (city) in Welsh, town and dune in English, tuin (garden, yard) in Dutch, and Zaun (fence) in German [source].

Down can also refer to soft, fluffy feathers that grow on young birds, and that are used as insulating material in duvets, sleeping bags and jackets, and soft hairs on plants or people’s faces.

This comes from Middle English doun (soft feathers of birds, down), from Old Norse dúnn (down), from Proto-Germanic *dūnaz (pile, heap), from PIE *dʰewh₂- (smoke, mist, haze) [source].

So all the different senses of down might ultimately come from the same PIE root, but arrived in modern English via different routes. So try not to feel down when up on the downs in a down jacket because that would be a bit of a downer.

Incidentally, we used to call duvets slumberdowns in my family. I thought that was their name, but later discovered that other people have different names for them, such as duvet or continental quilt. Slumberdown is in fact the name of the company that makes them. They’re apparently called comforters or quilts in North America, doonas in Australia, and ralli quilts or razai in India and Pakistan. What do you call them? [source].

I also write about words, etymology and other language-related topics on the Omniglot Blog, and I explore etymological connections between Celtic languages on the Celtiadur.

You can also listen to this podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Stitcher, TuneIn, Podchaser, PlayerFM or podtail.

If you would like to support this podcast, you can make a donation via PayPal or Patreon, or contribute to Omniglot in other ways.

Radio Omniglot podcasts are brought to you in association with Blubrry Podcast Hosting, a great place to host your podcasts. Get your first month free with the promo code omniglot.

The Fastest Way to Learn Japanese Guaranteed with JapanesePod101.com

Omniglot News (03/08/23)

By Simon

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Here’s the latest news from the world of Omniglot.

There are new language pages about:

  • Buol (Apadu Vuolo), a Gorontalic language spoken in the Buol Regency in the north of Central Sulawesi Province in Indonesia.
  • Talaud, a North Sangiric language spoken in the Talaud Islands in North Sulawesi Province in Indonesia.
  • Blaan (B’laan), a South Mindanao language spoken in the south of Mindanao Island in the Philippines.

New constructed script: Wave, an alternative script for English designed by Nixon Nguyen for artistic purposes.

Sample text in Wave (All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.)

New phrases page: Blaan (B’laan)

New numbers pages:

  • Blaan (B’laan), a South Mindanao language spoken on Mindanao Island in the Philippines.
  • Keres, a language isolate spoken by the Keres Pueblo people in New Mexico in the USA.

New dates page: Vietnamese

On the Omniglot blog there’s a new post called Sailing Away about words for boatsships> and related vessels, and there’s the usual Language Quiz. See if you can guess what language this is:

Here’s a clue: this language is related to Hungarian.

The mystery language in last week’s language quiz was Wemba Wemba, a Pama-Nyungan language formerly spoken in Victoria in Australia, that is being revived.

There’s a new Celtiadur post about words for Ships and Boats and related vessels in Celtic languages, and I made improvements to the posts about words for Caves and Wide and Broad.

In this week’s Celtic Pathways podcast we delve into the origins of the words for Hollow and related things.

In other news, here’s some Stuff Nonsense, my latest song:

For more Omniglot News see:
https://www.omniglot.com/news/
https://twitter.com/Omniglossia
https://www.facebook.com/groups/omniglot/
https://www.facebook.com/Omniglot-100430558332117

You can also listen to this podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Stitcher, TuneIn, Podchaser, PlayerFM or podtail.

If you would like to support this podcast, you can make a donation via PayPal or Patreon, or contribute to Omniglot in other ways.

Radio Omniglot podcasts are brought to you in association with Blubrry Podcast Hosting, a great place to host your podcasts. Get your first month free with the promo code omniglot.

The Fastest Way to Learn Korean with KoreanClass101

Celtic Pathways – Hollow

By Simon

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In this episode we’re delving into Celtic words for hollow and related things.

Hollows

The Proto-Celtic word *tullos means pierced, perforated or hole, and comes from Proto-Indo-European *tewk- (to push, press, beat, pierce, perforate), from *(s)tew- (to push, hit) [source].

Descendents in the modern Celtic languages include:

  • toll [t̪ˠoːl̪ˠ] = hole, hollow, posterior, piereced, empty in Irish.
  • toll [tɔul̪ˠ] = hole, penetration, hole, hold (of a ship) in Scottish Gaelic
  • towl = aperture, bore, cavity, crater, hole, hollow in Manx
  • twll [tʊɬ] = hole, aperture, dimple, hollow, pit, cave, burrow, den, orifice in Welsh.
  • toll = burrow, hollow, hole, opening, orifice in Cornish
  • toull [ˈtulː] = holed, pierced, hole, entrance in Breton

Words from the same Proto-Celtic root in other languages include tollo (hole in the ground where hunters hide, puddle) in Spanish, toll (pool, puddle) in Catalan, and tol (ditch, dam) in Galician [source].

Words from the same PIE root possibly include tkát (to weave) in Czech, тъка [tɐˈkɤ] (to spin, plait, entwine, weave) in Bulgarian and tkać (to weave, stick, tuck) in Polish [source]. Also stoke in English, stoken (to poke, stoke, light a fire, stir up) in Dutch, and estoquer (to impale) in French [source]

You can find more details of words for hollows, holes, caves and related things on the Celtiadur blog. I also write about words, etymology and other language-related topics on the Omniglot Blog.

Radio Omniglot podcasts are brought to you in association with Blubrry Podcast Hosting, a great place to host your podcasts. Get your first month free with the promo code omniglot.

The Fastest Way to Learn Japanese Guaranteed with JapanesePod101.com

Omniglot News (27/08/23)

By Simon

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Here’s the latest news from the world of Omniglot.

There are new language pages about:

  • Iceve-Maci, a Tivoid language spoken in southwest Cameroon and southeast Nigeria.
  • Esimbi, a Tivoid language spoken in the Northwest Province of Cameroon.
  • Chaura (Sanënyö), a Nicobarese language spoken on Chowra (Chaura) Island in the Nicobar Islands, part of the Indian union territory of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

New constructed script: Foamemes, which is an alternative way to write American English devised by Earthcat Terrence and Rex Angular

Sample text in Foamemes

New constructed script: Jackson’s Dialect Phonetic Alphabet (JDPA), which was devised by Jackson Green as an alternative way to write Canadian English.

Sample text in Jackson's Dialect Phonetic Alphabet (JDPA)

New constructed script: Liran, which was invented by Seth Zaw to write his constructed language, Liran.

Sample text in Liran

New numbers pages:

  • Chaura (Sanënyö), a Nicobarese language spoken on Chowra (Chaura) Island in the Nicobar Islands
  • Kanuri (Kànùrí), a Nilo-Saharan language spoken in Nigeria, Niger, Chad and Cameroon.
  • Kpelle (Kpɛlɛwoo), a Mande language spoken in Mali, Senegal, Gambia, Guinea, Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Guinea-Bissau and Chad.

On the Omniglot blog there’s a new post called Gadding About about the meanings and origins of the word gad and related words, and there’s the usual Language Quiz. See if you can guess what language this is:

Here’s a clue: this language was spoken in Australia, and is currently being revived.

The mystery language in last week’s language quiz was Capiznon (Kapisnon), a Central Bisayan language spoken in the Western Visayas region of the Philippines.

There’s a new Celtiadur post called Fearful Dread, which looks into some fearful and dreadful words in Celtic languages.

In the Adventure in Etymology we investigate the origins of the word Crotchet (♩) and related things.

2222 day streak on Duolingo

In other news, I reached 2222 days on my Duolingo learning streak this week, which seems like quite a milestone to me, and I’m still enjoying it. I’ve nearly finished the Japanese course – only half a unit to complete, plus some legendary levels. I have 2.5 more units to finish in the Spanish course, 3.5 in Finnish, and nearly 4 in Scottish Gaelic. I don’t know which language(s) I’ll study when I finish these courses.

For more Omniglot News see:
https://www.omniglot.com/news/
https://twitter.com/Omniglossia
https://www.facebook.com/groups/omniglot/
https://www.facebook.com/Omniglot-100430558332117

You can also listen to this podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Stitcher, TuneIn, Podchaser, PlayerFM or podtail.

If you would like to support this podcast, you can make a donation via PayPal or Patreon, or contribute to Omniglot in other ways.

Radio Omniglot podcasts are brought to you in association with Blubrry Podcast Hosting, a great place to host your podcasts. Get your first month free with the promo code omniglot.

The Fastest Way to Learn Korean with KoreanClass101

Adventures in Etymology – Crotchet (♩)

By Simon

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

In this adventure we investigate the origins of the word crotchet and related things.

Crotchet

A crotchet [ˈkɹɒtʃ.ɪt] is:

  • A musical note one beat long in 4/4 time (♩), also known as a quarter note in the USA
  • A forked support or crotch
  • A square bracket []

Historically it meant:

  • A sharp curve or crook; a shape resembling a hook
  • A hook-shaped instrument
  • A whim or a fancy.

It comes from Middle English crochet (hook, crook, hooked staff), from Old French crochet (small hook) from croc (hook, hook-shaped weapon), from Frankish *krōk- (hook), or Old Norse krókr (hook), from Proto-Germanic *krōkaz (hook) [source].

Words from the same roots include crochet and crook in English, crúca (hook, crook, clutch, claw) in Irish, and crochet (hook, square bracket, fang) and croche (quaver / eighth note) in French [source].

The musical note was apparently called a crotchet because it had a small hook on its stem in old musical notation. In modern notation it’s the quaver (eighth note) that has the hook (a.k.a. tail) ♪.

Incidentally, quaver comes from Middle English quaven, cwaiven (to tremble), from Old English *cwifer, which is probably related to cwic (alive, living, intelligent, keen) [source].

Here’s an example of some crotchets, quavers and other musical notes in action in a tune I wrote a few years ago called Dancing on Custard played by me on the harp:

You can find a score for it on MuseScore – this is not exactly the same as the recording.

I also write about words, etymology and other language-related topics on the Omniglot Blog, and I explore etymological connections between Celtic languages on the Celtiadur.

You can also listen to this podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Stitcher, TuneIn, Podchaser, PlayerFM or podtail.

If you would like to support this podcast, you can make a donation via PayPal or Patreon, or contribute to Omniglot in other ways.

Radio Omniglot podcasts are brought to you in association with Blubrry Podcast Hosting, a great place to host your podcasts. Get your first month free with the promo code omniglot.

The Fastest Way to Learn Japanese Guaranteed with JapanesePod101.com

Omniglot News (20/08/23)

By Simon

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Here’s the latest news from the world of Omniglot.

There are new language pages about:

  • Nahavaq (Lhiimaqalhqamaꞌ), a Southern Oceanic spoken on Malekula Island in Malampa Province of Vanuatu.
  • Noakhailla (নোয়াখাইল্লা), an eastern Indo-Aryan language spoken mainly in the southeast of Bangladesh, and also in the northeast of India
  • Mamasa, a South Sulawesi language spoken in West Sulawesi Province in central Indonesia.

New constructed script: Terraphon, which is an alternative way to write American English devised by Earthcat Terrence.

Sample text in Terraphon

New numbers pages:

  • Nahavaq (Lhiimaqalhqamaꞌ), a Southern Oceanic spoken on Malekula Island in Malampa Province of Vanuatu.
  • Zaghawa (Beria), an Eastern Saharan language spoken mainly in parts of Chad and Sudan.
  • Istriot (Lèngua Eîstriota), a Romance language spoken in the south west of the Istrian Peninsula in Croatia

On the Omniglot blog there’s a new post called Hiding in Caves in which we find out what links the word grotesque with caves and hiding., and there’s the usual Language Quiz. See if you can guess what language this is:

Here’s a clue: this language is spoken in the Philippines.

The mystery language in last week’s language quiz was Limbu (ᤕᤠᤰᤌᤢᤱ ᤐᤠᤴ), a Kiranti language spoken in eastern Nepal and northeastern India.

There’s a new Celtiadur post about the words companion, ceilidh and related things in Celtic languages, and I made improvements to posts about words for https://www.omniglot.com/celtiadur/2020/03/22/badgers/Badgers, and Circles.

In the Celtic Pathways podcast we investigate the possible Celtic origins of the word Phon(e)y and find out how it is connect to words for ring and related things.

I also made improvements to the Zaghawa, Uzbek, Karakalpak, Uyghur, Kazakh and Tatar language pages.

For more Omniglot News see:
https://www.omniglot.com/news/
https://twitter.com/Omniglossia
https://www.facebook.com/groups/omniglot/
https://www.facebook.com/Omniglot-100430558332117

You can also listen to this podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Stitcher, TuneIn, Podchaser, PlayerFM or podtail.

If you would like to support this podcast, you can make a donation via PayPal or Patreon, or contribute to Omniglot in other ways.

Radio Omniglot podcasts are brought to you in association with Blubrry Podcast Hosting, a great place to host your podcasts. Get your first month free with the promo code omniglot.

The Fastest Way to Learn Korean with KoreanClass101

Celtic Pathways – Phoney Rings

By Simon

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

In this episode we look into the possibly Celtic roots of the word phoney, and find out how it is connected to words for ring and related things.

Irish Claddagh Ring

The Proto-Celtic word *ānniyos means ring, and comes from Proto-Indo-European *h₁eh₂no- (ring). [source].

Descendents in the modern Celtic languages include:

  • fáinne [ˈfˠɑːɲə/ˈfˠæːn̠ʲə] = ring, circle, ringlet, curl or halo in Irish.
  • fàinne [faːn̪ʲə] = ring, ringlet or circle in Scottish Gaelic
  • fainney = circle, puck, wreathe or ring in Manx

The English word phon(e)y (fraudulent, fake) possibly comes from the old slang word fawney (a finger ring, a gilt brass ring used by swindlers), from the Irish fáinne (ring) [source].

The Hiberno-English word fainne [ˈfɑnjə/ˈfɔnjə], which refers to a pin badge worn to show fluency in, or a willingness to speak Irish, also comes from the same Irish root [source]. More information about the fainne badge: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fáinne

Other words from the same PIE root, via the Latin ānus (ring, anus) include annular (ring-shaped, banded/marked with circles) and anus in English, անուր (anur – collar, oppression, yoke) in Armenian, anneau (ring) in French, and anello (ring, link) in Italian [source].

You can find more details of words for circles, rings and related things on the Celtiadur blog. I also write about words, etymology and other language-related topics on the Omniglot Blog.

Radio Omniglot podcasts are brought to you in association with Blubrry Podcast Hosting, a great place to host your podcasts. Get your first month free with the promo code omniglot.

The Fastest Way to Learn Japanese Guaranteed with JapanesePod101.com